StarFox: Fugitive
by GirlInTheMask
Summary: When Vixen "Vicky" McCloud, daughter of Fox and Krystal, is framed for the kidnapping of her parents, it will take all of her wits, skills, and the help of her friends, Kitty, Amber, and Max to find out what happened to her parents and thwart the evil behind their capture.
1. Childhood Dreams

_Disclaimer: I do not own StarFox, all belongs to Nintendo._

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**StarFox: Fugitive**

Prologue – Childhood Dreams

Beneath the bright Lylat sun which provided light for the entire system for which it was named, Corneria City was bustling with activity. Cars hurried across the bridge with the help of their propellers underneath, monorails provided transport for busy passengers who preferred it, and some of the citizens more passionate about their culture than most were putting up preparations for the annual Corneria Film Festival, featuring recently found footage showing a well-known team the planet had proudly claimed as their own. Some of them, master salesman, knew that by hearing the name attached to this footage, they would draw a huge crowd, bigger than the one they usually got. And in return they would get that well-earned cash they always sniffed out.

All this was thanks to the peace that had settled over the planet for ten blessed years. And the peace, all of Corneria owed it to their renowned defense fleet, the best in the Lylat system, led by the great General Peppy Hare. Peppy, and the rest of those under his command, however, knew that most of that thanks was misplaced, and should have been given instead to the legendary team of mercenaries, StarFox, led by the living legend, Fox McCloud.

These days though, the StarFox team preferred to live outside of the limelight and glory. While they remain friends with each other and would take action for Corneria and the Lylat system when needed, in recent years they found themselves taking to more domestic pursuits, such as settling down and raising families of their own. And here is where our story starts, in a simple schoolyard where four remarkable children played while waiting for their parents.

A young white fox laughed heartily as she hurried up a small hill alongside an orange tabby kitten. At the top sat another kitten, a gray tabby, and a young black rabbit, both wondering why their two friends could be having so much fun at something they didn't consider to be so.

"Come on guys, you gotta try this!" the orange kitten, Kitty Shorthair laughed as she flopped down flat on the grass, "At least once!"

Her twin brother Max, the gray kitten, sighed, or rather groaned, as he laid down next to her. "I don't know Kitty. I'm tired."

The black rabbit, a studious girl named Amber, hung her head slightly in hesitation. "Me too," she said in a small, accented voice, "Besides, I don't want to get dirty."

"Oh quit being little Miss 'Prim and Proper!'" Kitty snapped at her, causing her to jump slightly, "You gotta have some fun!"

The white fox kit beside her nudged her with her elbow. "Leave her alone Kitty," Vixen, or "Vicky" as she was called, chided her. But when she looked up at her other best friends since kindergarten, they frowned slightly when they saw only mischief in her eyes. That meant only one thing. "But you do have to try it out before our parents get here!" she smiled a wicked grin.

While Kitty smiled as mischievously in agreement, Max and Amber only sighed. To disagree with Kitty was one thing, but once Vicky had her mind on something, nothing was going to convince her otherwise, especially if she thought it a good idea. Still, when all things were considered, there didn't seem to be much harm in doing what the two girls were trying to get them to do. And they were friends after all.

"Okay, I guess," Max finally said as he raised himself up. He then looked at Amber and asked, "You coming too?"

After considering it for a moment, and with three pairs of eyes awaiting her decision, Amber eventually shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, alright," she said, finally smiling, "But if my mom gets mad at me I'm blaming all of you!"

Vicky, Kitty, Max, and even Amber laughed. And before long, all four of them stood at the top of the hill. Vicky and Kitty both couldn't help giggling softly at their excitement, knowing how much fun they were all going to have.

"On three," Vicky said as she held up three fingers. The rest nodded as they looked down in anticipation. "Ready…three!"

On her cue, all four kids leaped forward, and immediately started laughing as they hit the ground, then again, and again. Together they fell down the steep slope of the hill just outside the schoolyard, and though a few grunts were heard when one hit a particularly hard spot, all of them nonetheless laughed in delight as they went further and further down, until they finally slowed to a stop at the bottom of the hill. There they laid, arms and legs sprawled all over the ground, and still laughing, knowing they were pretty much having the time of their lives.

"Guess you were right Kitty," Max managed to say between deep breaths, "That was fun!"

"Told ya!" Kitty said as she giggled. But Max didn't hear her. He'd spotted a couple of nice-looking flowers, and as he looked over at Vicky, he briefly thought that they would look even nicer in her silver hair.

Vicky, though, was staring up at the blue sky, and letting out a contented sigh. But suddenly, her eyes widened when she heard a familiar roaring sound, and her arm shot up the moment she saw it's source.

"Look!" she cried out in excitement, "There are a couple of jets!" She pointed in their direction, and it wasn't long before her friends too saw the slender, silver aircrafts that caught the sun and reflected its light back at them.

"Yeah, cool!" Max agreed, "They look like military jets!" Vicky could only smile at his words. _Yeah_, she thought to herself, _and someday I'm gonna be on one of them!_ As she crossed her arms behind her head and closed her eyes, she could practically see herself behind the wheel of a jet similar to the one her father flew, shooting at enemy invaders of Corneria, and becoming a heroine for the Lylat system. For as long as she could remember, if she knew one thing for certain, she was going to follow in the footsteps of her parents and even cement her own legacy.

It wasn't long though before her imagination was interrupted by a sudden whistle, and her eyes flew open. She knew that whistle. Vicky rolled onto her side, raised her head, and widened her eyes and smiled when she saw her father, Fox McCloud, standing at the other side of the yard and waving his hand at her, signaling to her that it was time to go home. Vicky's heart instantly began to beat with excitement.

"My dad's here!" she said to her friends. Kitty looked up at her with the same lit-up face and asked, "Oh yeah, is he taking you?"

"He said he would!" Vicky replied happily, eager to get going. She quickly got up on her feet, hurried away from Kitty, Max, and Amber, and took up her pink backpack from where she left it nearby. She then turned, smiled, and waved in a way that mimicked her dad. "See you all later!"

"Later!" her friends called back. Now with nothing holding her back, Vicky took off like a rocket across the green field, her eyes only on who stood in front of her. What she didn't pay attention to though, was that he was speaking to someone on his wrist watch. "Hi Dad!" she called out at him. The moment he spotted her, she collided into him, nearly knocking him over if it wasn't for her arms wrapping around him.

"Oooff!" Fox cried out as his eyes widened in alarm. But when he saw how happy Vicky was to see him, he couldn't help but hug her back. Still, he had to say, "Did you have to ram your whole self right at me?"

Vicky looked up at him, and Fox's smile faded when he saw that she was frowning. She looked down again and shook her head as she said in a small voice, "Sorry."

Hoping to brighten her spirits again, Fox brushed it off and said, "Hey, it's alright. Just don't do it again. You ready to go?"

Vicky instantly lifted her head back up, her smile and the twinkling in her eyes having returned. "Uh huh!" she eagerly nodded.

"Alright, come on then." Before he could help her in though, Vicky rushed toward the car, opened the door, and climbed right in. Now she was the one waiting for him. Fox couldn't help but chuckle at the way she looked at him. Before long, to Vicky's delight, they were on the road. And although Fox tried to keep his eyes on the path toward home and on her at the same time, he failed to notice the way she was practically burning and shaking with excitement.

"How was school?" he asked her like he did almost every day.

Vicky frowned at him again, knowing she would have to answer honestly. Nothing got past her dad. "It was okay," she replied, trying not to sound nervous. She then admitted, "But the teacher got mad at me again, for not paying attention."

"Really?" Fox asked, his eyebrows raised. Feeling the need to go easy on her but also the need to do what needed to be done as a parent, he added in a calm tone, "Yeah, your mom said you've been, distracted lately." Truthfully though, it had been a problem all her life.

"Are you still gonna take me?" Vicky suddenly asked. Fox looked to see this hopeful look on her face, and he knew instantly, with dismay, what she was talking about.

"Uh, take you where?" he asked, pretending not to know.

"Oh come on!" Vicky exclaimed, clearly not buying it, "You said you were gonna take me flying in the Arwing!"

It was no use. She was too smart. Shaking his head, Fox replied, "I don't know. I don't think your mom would like it."

"But you promised!" Vicky all-but begged, "Besides, I just turned eight! You promised me after my birthday! Please?"

Fox let out a heavy sigh and put a brief hand to his head. In some ways it was harder being a dad than being a mercenary pilot. And Vicky, she was growing up way too fast for his taste. It seemed like only yesterday he was seeing and holding her for the first time, when she was less than half an hour hold, in Krystal's hospital room. And since she looked so much like the mother he never knew, he decided it was best to honor her by naming his daughter Vixen. Only problem was she was exhibiting signs of a passionate dreamer at a very early age, and he didn't know whether to take this as good or bad.

But regarding the matter at hand, even if he, like Krystal, might not have been too crazy about this, he did make her a promise (even pinky-swore – and he was all too glad she didn't mention that). And besides, with him behind the wheel, he could make it short yet still memorable for her. After a while, once he let out another sigh, without looking at Vicky he replied, "Oh, alright. Why not?"

"Yes!" Vicky said quietly. Then she sat up straight and donned a serious expression when her father looked at her sternly.

"But listen up," he said, "If you do anything other than exactly as I say, this will be the last time. Deal?"

"Deal," Vicky promptly nodded in agreement. Fox then held his hand in front of her and said, "Let's shake on it." Vicky shrugged her shoulders, leaned over, and gave her dad's hand a good shake. Now that she knew for sure that they were going, it was all she could do to keep from shaking with the excitement in her that threatened to explode. She'd heard all sorts of stories about her parents and the other members of the StarFox team growing up, and now, for the first time, she was going to experience a sliver of it, and that alone made waiting all the harder.

But before she knew it, Fox and Vicky had finally arrived at home, and Fox had to literally hold her back to make sure she didn't rush ahead of him to the garage, which stood like a separate building behind the house itself. "Remember what I told you," he said with a no-nonsense look directed at her, "You have to do exactly as I say." Vicky nodded hastily, but her anticipation had in no way been hindered.

As soon as they made it to the garage, Vicky dragged Fox by the hand over to the Arwing, which Fox still occasionally flew, and could barely contain herself the moment her father helped her inside. It was almost as if she was going to fly it herself, were it not for her dad picking her up from underneath her arms. "You get to sit here," he said as he sat her down in his lap while he sat in the pilot's seat.

"Do I get to fly it?" she asked, her hands already reaching for the steering wheel. Fox quickly took hold of her and pulled her back. "I don't think you're ready for that yet," he chided her gently. Fortunately, Vicky didn't seem to mind. As soon as they were strapped together, he turned on the Arwing, allowing Vicky to gaze with wonder at the lit up control pad in front of her. Before she could touch anything though, Fox pushed a button, and a roaring sound caused Vicky to look up, and widen her eyes as soon as she saw the roof of the garage building open.

"Are you ready?" Fox asked, a smile growing on his face at knowing what she'd say.

"Yeah! Let's go already!" Vicky exclaimed eagerly. Before she even finished, Fox turned on the four G-diffusers and slowly caused the Arwing to rise, much to Vicky's eye-widening joy. Once they were high enough in the air, Fox called out, "Here we go!" And as soon as he said so, he drove the jet forward, going from zero to fifty miles an hour in just a few seconds, and then from fifty to a hundred in only a few more, all while the young girl beneath him began screaming with excitement and enthusiasm at what she believed was the best birthday present of her life.

"Oh yeah!" she cried, wanting, at least in her mind, to go even faster.

"You like it so far?" Fox asked, himself smiling at his little girl enjoying what he enjoyed most next to her.

"Yeah I do!" Vicky nodded, her heart pounding against her chest. Sharing in her childlike joy that he never seemed to tire of, Fox decided to humor her even more. "Hey, you want me to show you a few moves?" he asked.

"Yeah!" Vicky replied, "Like what?" After making sure she was secure against his chest, Fox replied, "Hold on. This is a somersault!"

Vicky did as her father said, and couldn't help but let out a squeal as he pulled the wheel back, sending the Arwing straight up toward the sky, back upside down, and then down forward again. She didn't think she'd had this much fun in her eight years of life.

"Having fun yet?" Fox, who was now laughing, asked.

"Duh!" Vicky managed to reply, "This is the best day of my life!"

Fox laughed again as he continued to fly the Arwing around Corneria City. Once they entered the city limits, Vicky gazed with wonder and awe at the sights that greeted her. She of course had been to the city a dozen times, but never had she seen it from this high up. The cars were smaller than the toys she used to play with, and the people themselves seemed to be as small as ants. But as for the city itself, against the backdrop of the green mountains in the distance and the blue sky above, Vicky didn't think she'd ever seen something more amazing. It was almost as if she herself, rather than her dad, or even the Arwing itself, were flying. She knew now for sure that the dreary and near eternal waiting was well worth it. She couldn't recall another time when she felt happier, and she never wanted the feeling nor the trip to end.

Unfortunately, after about ten minutes, her father decided to turn the Arwing around and head back home.

"Aww!" Vicky groaned in disappointment, "Do we have to go already?"

"Afraid so," Fox nodded, "Your mother's gonna be wondering where we are."

In an attempt to make the moment last just a little while longer, Vicky asked, "Can't you show me just one more move?"

Fox was about to say "no," when it suddenly flashed into his mind that he hadn't shown her his trademark move. Though he didn't know exactly how she'd take it, a smile slowly grew on his face until he finally said, "Okay. One more."

After making sure his hands were firmly on the wheel and they were finally outside the city, he said, "I'm about to show you one of my signature moves. And you know what?" He leaned forward slightly and said, "I betcha I can do it with my eyes closed."

"No way!" Vicky exclaimed in near disbelief.

"Yeah? I'll tell you what," Fox said, "You tell me when I should do it, okay?"

"Okay!" Vicky nodded eagerly. Her heart began to race knowing that, for a few brief seconds, she was essentially going to pilot the Arwing. She had to practically restrain herself from grabbing hold of the wheel too.

"Now?" her dad asked, his eyes now closed.

"Uh uh," Vicky shook her head. Though she knew what move he was going to perform, she wanted to wait until just the right moment. In fact, she too closed her eyes. Her imagination once again began to roam as she mentally put herself in the pilot's seat, and soon started to feel the anticipation rising within her. It kept building, and building, and building, until finally, she knew it was the right time. Her eyes flashed open, and she cried out, "Now!"

"Hold on!" Fox cried back. Clutching the wheel tightly, he grit his teeth and swiftly turned a hard right, maneuvering the Arwing into a barrel roll. After hearing Vicky squeal again in excitement, he turned the wheel to the left, and then to the right again in two more barrel rolls, making Vicky scream and laugh at the same time. The sound was so full of heart that it made Fox laugh again as well. He didn't think he'd ever seen her so happy.

"Woah, yeah!" Vicky exclaimed when she could manage, "That was so fun!"

"Yeah," Fox agreed, "But I think you've had enough for one day. Let's head home."

But suddenly, just as he was about to turn in that direction, the two heard a bizarre beeping sound that seemed to be an alarm. Fox's eyes flew to the control panel, and they widened instantly as soon as he saw what was wrong. Two of the G-diffusers were about to give out. It immediately came to his mind that it had been on his mental list to try and get them fixed, but he must have forgotten about it. "Oh no!"

"What is it?" Vicky asked in wide-eyed alarm.

"Something's wrong with two of the G-diffusers," Fox replied, trying to remain calm, "I knew I should have updated to newer ones. And the other two won't be enough to carry us." As he was explaining to her, Fox was already at work pushing buttons, but just when it seemed like he had it under control, his heart dropped when he saw that two of the G-diffusers had given out. And that meant only one thing.

"Dang!" he said angrily, "This isn't good!"

"What's happening?!" Vicky asked, now afraid.

"Hang on Vicky!" Fox cried as he held her against him while still keeping a hand on the wheel, "We're gonna crash!"

As soon as he said so the Arwing went for a nose-dive down into a green field below which, thankfully, had no people in it. As the alarm inside the jet went crazy, Fox held tightly onto Vicky, and the two closed their eyes as they awaited the inevitable. Neither made a sound. And it wasn't long before they finally hit the ground.

The Arwing didn't stop immediately though. Instead, as Fox in his mind had feared, they began tumbling off to the side, flipping upside down then right side up again and again and again, hearing the sound of metal clashing against earth with every hit. But just when Fox was wondering when it would cease, the jet finally stopped, and they landed right side up. He opened his eyes to see that they'd landed in the middle of the field. Smoke began billowing out of either side of the Arwing. And as soon as his eyes caught Vicky's silver hair, his heart instantly started to pound.

"Vicky!" he cried, "Vicky, are you alright?!"

He expected to hear the worst. But instead of hearing her cry, or even groan, he heard her laugh. Fox immediately breathed a mental sigh of relief, knowing she couldn't be terribly hurt, but he remained confused at how she could be laughing after such chaos.

"That was so cool!" Vicky exclaimed, "Let's do that again!"

Fox then unstrapped both of them, and turned Vicky around in his lap to see if she was hurt anywhere at all. She did have a few bruises and cuts, the largest one being on the side of her head, but nothing too serious. All the while she continued to laugh, until, to the alarm of both, she spit out two teeth.

"Absolutely not!" Fox shook his head, now that it was clear to him, "The next place you're going is to a doctor." He then gathered the girl up in his arms, opened the Arwing, and stepped out. As soon as he saw the wreckage, he knew he could eventually get it fixed, but now, his first concern was Vicky.

His wife Krystal, however, that was a different story. By the time the two arrived home about half an hour later, Krystal was deep in worry. She knew she shouldn't have been, considering that Fox had let her know they were going to be a bit late. But as a wife and mother, she couldn't help but wonder if something had happened to them. And as soon as she turned when she heard the front door open, and saw Vicky, her eyes widened as she first believed her fears had come true.

"We're back," Fox promptly announced, appearing to be okay.

"Hi Mom!" Vicky exclaimed as she waved, revealing the two holes in her mouth. She had little bandages and bruises all over her arms and legs, and a big bandage wrapped around her head, but the most prominent thing about her was the wild look in her wide, gray eyes. Krystal immediately rushed over to her and hugged her.

"Vicky!" she cried, "What happened to you? Are you two alright?"

"We're both fine," Fox nodded, "We just, got into a bit of a skirmish."

"Yeah Mom, you should've seen it!" Vicky interrupted him, unleashing her long-held excitement now that she was telling her mother. Waving her arms around to show her the moves as she told her, she explained, "Dad took me up in the Arwing, it was awesome! We did somersaults and barrel rolls and went around the city until we crashed landed! Oh it was so cool!"

"Uh, sweetheart," Fox said as he took her by the wrist and looked her in the eye, "Um, why don't you go up to your room while I have a talk with your mother, okay?"

"Okay!" Vicky nodded, "Thanks a lot Dad, I had loads of fun!"

"Me too," Fox said as he quickly hugged her, "See you later."

He then watched while she ran across the room and hurried up the stairs, and he couldn't help but smile at the youthful energy she exhibited. But as soon as he felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned around to see Krystal's eyebrows raised skeptically at him. "A bit of a skirmish?" she asked, full of doubt.

Fox let out a sigh. "You know she's been begging me to take her," he said, "And you know I promised her right after her birthday."

Krystal nodded in agreement, and then let out a sigh herself. She then looked back up at him with her large blue eyes and asked, "How badly is the Arwing damaged?"

"Not as bad as it could've been," Fox replied, "Two of the G-diffusers are totaled but, the rest looks like it'll still run. Vicky on the other hand, she might as well not be hurt at all."

Krystal nodded again, and then looked back down, before turning away from her husband to gather her own thoughts together. Now it was Fox's turn to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Something wrong?" he asked with concern.

Krystal touched his hand with her own and turned back around, not sure how he would take the words she wanted to say, but she was going to say them anyway. "I'm just not sure we should indulge her so much at this age," she admitted, "I mean, I know she's enthusiastic about what we used to do but, I don't think she knows the dangers that come with being a pilot."

Fox nodded in understanding, knowing exactly what "dangers" she was talking about, both physical and emotional. He too had a bad experience of his own. "I know what you mean," he said, "And what if she decides to attend the flight academy. I love working with them but, the Cornerian defense fleet isn't always the best at what they do. What they're supposed to do anyway."

"And you are?" Krystal teased him, her eyes twinkling in the way that Vicky's did.

Fox smiled, but only a small one. "I just did what I had to do," he said, "No one else would stop Andross."

"I know," Krystal nodded. She then shrugged her shoulders and added, "Who knows? This might just be a childhood phase. She might eventually grow out of it."

"Might," Fox repeated, emphasizing that one word. Knowing Vicky, it was a slim chance. She'd loved jets for as long as they knew her, and they both knew it.

"And if she doesn't?" Krystal asked, looking to him for a possible answer. A powerful moment of silence passed between them as Fox considered his words.

"If she doesn't," he finally said, "We'll make sure she becomes the best she can be. And we'll be proud."

Krystal nodded in agreement. She also attempted to smile, but after a few seconds of trying, any semblance of one quickly faded as she put her arm around her husband's waist. "I just hope our past doesn't come back to haunt us," she said in a small voice.

Fox let out another sigh at the way her words came out, and put his arm around Krystal's shoulder. "It won't," he promised her, "No matter what happens, we'll always be family." And with that, he placed a gentle kiss on her blue hair. To her, he may have sounded sure, but inside his mind, he too found himself hoping that he would somehow prove to be right. He had to.

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_Reviews would be appreciated._

_P.S.: If you want to see what Vicky, Kitty, and Amber look like, visit my DeviantArt page, "LadyInTheMask710." Amber, by the way, speaks in a British accent like Krystal._


	2. Troubling Takeoff

**StarFox: Fugitive**

Chapter 1 – Troubling Takeoff

_Ten years later…_

In the vast expanse of space, which promised only blackness, wondrous sights, and many dangers as well as allies, on one corner of Corneria, which went about its daily business as usual, five command ships stood guard over it like it was a valuable jewel to be protected from thieves. In many ways it was, considering that eighty-five percent of sentient life in the Lylat System lived there. Inside the main ship, the _Greyhound_, General Pepper II was getting rather frustrated. He had been serving in the Cornerian military for the past five years, fitting considering that his father was the first General Pepper, but after staying up for the past twelve hours on the lookout, he was ready to throw in the towel.

"Are you sure those reports were accurate?" he asked his second-in-command, another dog by the name of Ramirez.

Ramirez let out a heavy sigh. He'd already explained this, but he knew full well what type of reaction his superior would get. "Our men believed they saw unusual activity occurring somewhere near here only yesterday General," he said as calmly as he could, "They don't know for sure but…"

"Well then they need to know before they send a report like this!" the general barked, "You get paid to know, not 'believe.' It's reports like these that cause us to sit here on our tails for half a day instead of actually doing something useful for the planet! The next time I hear something like that someone's gonna wish they double-checked their sources."

Ramirez could only put his head in his hand. If there was anything he knew for certain after working with the general for five years, it was that his integrity wasn't what got him his position. Now though, he too found himself wishing something would happen, lest they end up wasting another twelve hours.

"Wait a minute," one of the pilots sounded off, "I'm picking up something on the radar."

"Yeah me too," another pilot nodded his head. General Pepper and Ramirez hurried over to the first pilot.

"Well, what is it?" General Pepper asked, "Let me see!" Pushing Ramirez out of the way, he gazed with bloodshot eyes at the monitor and saw what appeared to be four jets of the same design heading near the asteroid field just a few miles away.

"What is it?" he asked again, glad to finally have a lead.

"This is weird," the pilot said in a confused voice, "These jets don't look foreign at all. In fact, they look very much Cornerian."

"What in the sam-hill are you talkin' about?" the general asked, obviously befuddled.

The pilot put a pair of headphones over his ears to try and pick up any possible transmission, and after a moment, the wide-eyed surprised look that immediately donned itself on his face confirmed his suspicions. "General," he said, "I think you should hear this."

"Give me those." Without waiting, the general snatched up the headphones, put them on, and turned up the volume slightly. What he heard was the last thing he expected to hear from a Cornerian pilot, and in the most unlikely tone. It was that of a young female, probably in late adolescence, happily saying to what he assumed to be the rest of her cohorts, "Alright gang! Let's do this!"

General Pepper immediately frowned, and just as quickly, his temper flared. "What in blazes is goin' on?!" he asked. Without waiting for a response, he looked at the rest of the crew and added, "I want to know as soon as possible!"

While the crew instantly went into overdrive trying to figure out what this could be, entering the asteroid field just miles from their location were four Cornerian jets that looked similar to the StarFox arwings, the designs of which the owners had happily lent to the defense fleet years earlier. Inside the jets were not official pilots, not even rookies, but four students from the Cornerian Flight academy. And they were led by a white fox who, while having become a young adult in the past year, still seemed a bit too eager to fly straight into action, if not outright danger.

"Oh, this is gonna be so cool!" Vicky said, barely able to contain herself even as she held tightly onto the steering wheel. She meant to have only herself hear her say so, but her excitement was clearly shared by one of her friends.

"Yeah this is!" Kitty replied in enthusiastic agreement. Inside her jet, she turned her head around to see two more jets lagging behind. "Come on slowpokes!" she exclaimed with a nod of her head, "Hurry up!"

The two sped up, but only slightly, showing their hesitation if it wasn't already evident in their voices. "Are we really doing this?" Amber asked.

Max shrugged his shoulders. "Well, we've made it this far out," he said. With a frown though, he added, hoping at least Vicky would hear, "Still, it's not too late to turn back."

"Oh come on bro!" Kitty chided him, "Don't be such a baby! We won't be out here for long."

"Right," Vicky agreed, "And besides, we could use the extra practice for tomorrow's test." Even as she was speaking though, a pang of guilt hit Vicky's chest. Still, she reasoned, this test would be harder than the other ones, especially considering that it would be the last one of the semester. It was also early in the morning, and school hadn't started yet. Thirdly, it wasn't like they'd stolen these jets. They'd been assigned to them at the beginning of the year.

No matter how much she tried to push the unpleasant feeling aside, however, the guilt hit Vicky even harder when Amber spoke up. "But we've already been caught doing this once," she reminded them, "Two more times and, well, you know_…"_

Dead silence followed over communications, since all of them knew what Amber was talking about, and would rather not face the consequences, especially Vicky. Ever the fighter, she attempted again to push the feeling away by saying, "We'll be more careful this time. We're only out here for a practice run, that's all."

"Does it begin now?" Max asked, trying to remain calm but fear quickly filling his voice.

"What do you mean?" Vicky asked, her head turned back around to look at him.

"'Cause an asteroid is headed straight toward you!" Max shouted, pointing at it in an attempt to warn her.

Vicky instantly turned back around, and her eyes instantly widened when she saw that Max was right. Before she could get it though, her trained reflexes immediately traveled from her mind to her hands, and she pulled on the wheel, sending the jet up, back, and then down again in a somersault. She shook her head slightly to rid herself of the shock before she let out a sigh of relief.

"Whoa," she said, "Thanks a lot Max, I owe you one."

"Uh, no problem," Max said. Then, without thinking, he added, "My pleasure." He instantly shook his head himself, wondering at what he just said, before he felt a warmness on his cheeks. Fortunately, at least as far as he was concerned, no one else could see it.

"There's more coming this way!" Amber suddenly cried.

"Not on my watch!" Kitty replied. After readying the jet's guns, she cried out, "Eat plasma laser space rocks!" She instantly opened fire, and got three medium-sized asteroids with all three of the shots she sent their way, sending debris in all directions. "Yeah!" she said, raising her triumphant fist in the air, "That's how it's done!"

"Hey sis, I wouldn't get too cocky if I were you," Max tried to warn her.

"What are you talking abou-." Before she could finish asking, Kitty let out a frightened gasp and jumped when she felt something just about slam itself into the side of her jet. "Oh no! I'm hit!"

"See what I mean?" Max asked, making Kitty want to slap him upside the head.

"It doesn't look too bad," Amber spoke up, "I can tell even from here."

Suddenly Vicky decided it was her turn to speak. Now that they'd avoided some major accidents, it was time, she felt, to put their skills to the test before the actual test. "Alright guys, enough playin' around," she said. Gripping her hands firmly on the steering wheel, and her gray eyes narrowing like a predator eyeing its prey at the field of black space rocks in front of her, she added in a low voice, "Let's rock."

With that, she split away from everyone else behind her, and right after her, Kitty, Amber, and Max went on their way to see if they had what it took to combat an enemy, even if, in this case, it was only a few asteroids.

Max started out by taking a nosedive underneath a particularly large asteroid, and then performing a somersault to get out of the way of another one about the same size. Not in the mood to dodge another for a third time, let alone the two that were coming his way, he narrowed his eyes in the trademark feline way at his obstacles and let loose two shots of fire, both of which hit their mark, splitting the rocks in half.

Amber, trying to play it more safely, fired one shot at an asteroid above her, and then another at one below her. She smiled at the way her aim improved, but when she looked up, her eyes widened when she saw a third asteroid, twice as large as the ones she just shot, headed straight down toward her. With it being too big to roll out of the way, she dove down, speeding up faster and faster, until, as if out of nowhere, she decided to face this rock head-on. She turned the jet around and gave it a powerful blast, causing it to blow up, and allowing her smile to return.

Kitty was obviously enjoying herself. Whooping and hollering like a girl in the moment, in a style similar to her brother, left and right she dodged asteroids both big and small. When she noticed four of them coming at her at the same time, she knew she wasn't going to be caught off-guard again. She quickly performed a barrel-roll and then performed a somersault, before firing four shots at once, cheering as soon as she saw them all get blown to bits.

As for Vicky, well, as far as she was concerned, she was doing pretty much what she was born to do. Not only did she perform a dozen barrel-rolls to shield herself from any sort of impact, but she also fired laser shots at any nearby asteroid, and hit each and every one of them. When she came upon a group of asteroids too large to be blown away with a single shot, she dodged every one of them with every twist and turn of the jet she could maneuver. And as soon as she saw an even larger rock, she went up backward into a somersault, held the buttons for the lasers to charge a more powerful shot, and immediately let it loose when she was just feet away from the asteroid. The powerful blast, made it explode, allowing Vicky to pass through unscathed.

After wiping her head to relieve herself of the craziness of the previous moment, she called up her friends and asked, "How're you guys doing?"

"Awesome!" Kitty replied happily. Vicky looked to her left to see a jet performing outrageous stunts, and she was sure that was Kitty.

"Hey Kitty don't be such a showoff," Max spoke up, obviously certain as well that that pilot was his sister.

"Wait," Amber suddenly said, clear anxiety showing with that one simple word, followed by two more. "W-, what's that?"

Vicky looked to her right, and saw Amber even from where she was, and she was pointing up. All of the rest of the student pilots looked up to see what was wrong, and their eyes widened and mouths fell open as soon as they saw the biggest asteroid any of them had ever seen come down toward them. As far as they were concerned, it looked about as big as Corneria itself. Even though they knew they were probably wrong however, that did nothing to hinder the panic refusing to be stopped from rising within them.

"Look at the size of that thing!" Max said with awe as well as fear.

"Oh no! This is it!" Kitty cried, much more fearful than her brother, "We're gonna die!"

"What are we going to do?!" Amber asked, "We have to get out of here!"

Immediately, Vicky's previous guilt came back with a force three times as hard as the first. She had led her friends out here straight into danger, and now she was seeing the consequences of her actions. Still, since she had led the three out here, she slowly found herself confronted with the responsibility to keep them out of harm's way. And it was a responsibility she found herself quickly grabbing hold of. She quickly thought of a way they could get out, looking for any vulnerabilities in the asteroid that threatened to overtake them, and soon believed she had a plan.

"Well I'll tell you what we're not gonna do!" she spoke up, "We're not gonna lose our minds and we're not gonna die!"

"Then do you have any suggestions?" Kitty asked, "'Cause I'd love to hear them!"

"Everyone follow me and do what I do!" Vicky replied, "I promise I'm gonna get us out of here! Let's go!"

Without waiting for anyone else to say anything else, Vicky forced the jet forward, up toward the asteroid itself. She looked only for a moment at her radar and was glad to see that the rest were following her, but now she had to concentrate and see to it to not only get herself through alive, but every one of her friends as well. Ignoring the way her heart pounded in anticipation and anxiety, and putting every bit of her skill to the test, she pushed her jet forward to a speed twice as fast as before planning on navigating the canyons inside the asteroid in hopes that they would eventually find an opening to let them out.

Vicky first turned the wheel to the left, and then to the right, followed by pulling the jet up, and then pushing it down. Using not only her own headlights but those of the others as well, she and her friends darted and dodged again and again, managing to keep both the jets and themselves intact, until they finally came near the end of the trail. Vicky's eyes very nearly popped out of her head when she saw that the asteroid at this end didn't have an opening for them to escape through. For a moment, she thought this was the end for them, until her mind began to form another idea which then transferred to her hands.

Repeating one of her moves from before, Vicky held down on to the button for the plasma lasers, and as soon as she believed she had a powerful enough shot, she let it loose. The lasers instantly connected with the wall and unleashed a great explosion, leaving, to Vicky's great relief, an opening large enough for all of them to pass through. She kept her current speed going until she was finally out of the asteroid, and couldn't have been more relieved to see the black expanse dotted with countless stars once more.

"Alright, I think we made it," she said, "Is everyone else okay?"

"I'm good, a little freaked out but good," Kitty replied.

"Same here," Max sighed in relief, "Boy am I glad that's over."

"Me too," Amber added, "And, I don't mean to impose but, could we please go back now?"

"Sure," Vicky nodded, realizing that she was right. She certainly didn't want to experience anything like this again, at least not anytime soon. "You're right Amber. Let's go." She rubbed first one hand on her leg and then the other to rid them of the sweat that formed in her palms, but just as they were about to turn toward home, an unusual voice came up through communications.

"Not so fast." It was a gruff male voice, one none of them recognized.

"Who said that?" Kitty asked, looking around in every direction.

"Up here!" the voice replied. And before any of them could wonder any further, bright lights were flooded over all four of them. They quickly looked up in the direction they came from, and Vicky's heart immediately dropped when she saw not one, but five large Cornerian defense fleet ships. She wished that the jets had cloaking devices so they could disappear. At least then no one could see the shock and horror that flooded over her face which the light clearly exposed.

"Hey, what gives?" Kitty asked in a frustrated tone, making Vicky wish she'd stay quiet.

"This is General Pepper of the Cornerian defense fleet," the male voice called out, "And you are all trespassing on grounds restricted to all pilots. Now unless you want to face military force, I would advise you all to let go of the wheels and put your hands where we can see 'em."

"We can't," Amber suddenly said in a matter-of-fact voice, "We have to keep our hands on the wheel if we want to keep the jets still."

"Aw, we have a smart one," General Pepper replied, "But my orders still stand. You will willingly bring your jets aboard this ship, or I will be forced to send my men after you."

Vicky wanted to hang her head between her knees like her tail already was. She wanted to literally sink through her seat and be gone. Still, the last thing she wanted was to be forcibly taken aboard a Cornerian ship by military men. That would only make things worse. No. The time had come to face the music, to face the consequences for her actions, no matter how bad they ended up being.

Trying to hang her head high, Vicky sent one final message through communications. "Alright guys. Game's over. Let's go."

Meanwhile, at the Cornerian Flight Academy, the headmistress, a dark-gray rabbit by the name of Beatrice Rabbit, was tidying up her office after meeting with two of the teachers from the night before. She hadn't been looking forward to it, but she was used to cleaning. Before she became headmistress, she prided herself on keeping her home clean at all times and impressing that influence on the rest of her family. For the past five years though, she was no longer the mistress of just her own house, but perhaps the largest house in Corneria City.

After putting the last file in the cabinet, she looked out the windows, and put her hands behind her back as she watched morning unfold before her. The sun was now past the horizon, and she could already see students walking through one of the squares – some carrying books, some carrying bags, some carrying nothing at all – going about their daily routine of going to class. While she had a sense of being proud of being chosen to be in charge of these students, she was even prouder that her own daughter had decided to join to academy.

Suddenly though, her thoughts were interrupted when she heard her phone going off. She strode to her desk, pressed the button to turn on the speaker, and said, "Headmistress Rabbit."

"Ma'am, there's an important visitor out front who wants to see you as soon as possible," her secretary replied, her tone of voice slightly nervous.

"Who is he, and what does he need to speak to me for?" Beatrice asked, curious to know.

The next words made her eyes widen in alarm. "It's General Pepper ma'am," her secretary explained, "He claims to have apprehended four of your students and desires to return them to you."

"Are you sure?" Beatrice asked, an idea forming in her mind about who these students were.

"Yes, and, he wanted to let you know that one of them is your daughter."

Beatrice's mouth came open and her heart began to pound in complete shock. It took her a moment to regain herself and reply to her secretary, and she now believed she knew who the students were. "Thank you Angela," she said in her usual dignified, calm voice, "I'll report to the general immediately."

After making sure she looked presentable, Beatrice made her way through the office building, and went the usual way she now knew like the back of her hand to the very front of the campus, keeping her back straight and her head high the whole way there. And if her eyes only widened at the news before, her eyes nearly fell out of her head when she saw General Pepper standing in front of eight soldiers keeping hold of four of her students, and one of them indeed was her daughter.

"Hi Mum," Amber said in a small voice, waving as she tried to smile. Her mother frowned sternly at her and shook her head, telling her now was not the time.

As soon as she faced General Pepper though, her respectful demeanor had returned. The two promptly shook hands. "Headmistress Rabbit," the general greeted her.

"General Pepper," she replied, "I was told to see you, and, now I see why."

"Indeed," General Pepper nodded. He then turned toward the four and asked, "These kids claim to be students of yours, is that true?"

"Yes, they are my students," Beatrice replied, "What have they done?"

"Well, we apprehended them after catching each of them operating a jet in a restricted area, strictly speaking, the asteroid field," the general explained, "Now, I know I was the one who caught them, but since they are your students, I decided to leave the decision-making of this matter to you."

"Oh um, yes, thank you very much," Beatrice nodded, trying to process everything that she was hearing and seeing.

"Of course," the general added, "I'm feeling very gracious today but, if this happens again I will be forced to take action myself. However, considering how well you take charge of your students, I'm certain I won't have to make such a decision in the future."

"Why thank you general," Beatrice said respectfully, "uh, both for your words and for bringing my students back to me."

"My pleasure ma'am," General Pepper nodded, "I'll send my men to deliver the jets back to their original locations. Have a good day, Headmistress."

"You too General," Beatrice attempted a smile. After they shook hands again, the general then turned around toward the soldiers who were still holding onto Vicky, Kitty, Amber, and Max, and nodded again. "Release them," he ordered.

The soldiers did as they were told, finally releasing their iron grip from the students after what seemed like forever. But of course, at least as far as the four knew, the real punishment had yet to come. They knew that as soon as the headmistress walked over to face them, hands on her hips, her face showing how she was clearly not pleased with what they'd done. Vicky, however, bit her lip and nervously said, "Um, what a nice day, Headmistress."

"Mm hmm," Beatrice nodded, "Clearly a nice day for getting in trouble, I see."

Any remnant of a smile on any of their faces faded immediately, allowing Beatrice to give her orders. "Listen to me," she said in an authoritative voice, "You will go to your classes and will go throughout your usual day until I call for you all."

Max raised his eyebrows in confusion and asked, "What, that's it?"

"Oh no," Beatrice continued, "I'm calling all of your parents here too." Vicky felt her heart sink like a rock at the headmistress's words, but she could only look away and let out a low, heavy sigh. Fortunately, or unfortunately, she wasn't the only one who felt that way.

Beatrice turned to Amber, the frown still on her face, and said, "And as for you, I'm calling your father."

Amber nodded and hung her head low. "Yes Mum," she replied in a soft voice.

After walking around slowly with her hands behind her back, Beatrice finally turned back in front of them, and all of them stood straight with high heads as though she herself were a general and they were her soldiers. "Now, do we understand each other?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am," the all replied in unison, their voices louder and clearer.

"Good," Beatrice nodded slightly, "Move out. Now." All four immediately did as she said, hurrying around her and then rushing through the front of the campus and then doing what they had to do if they wanted to get to their classes. All the while they silently worried what was going to happen later, especially Vicky.

As the day passed though, Vicky, if she was honest with herself, didn't know what to think. It was one thing to get caught only by the academy, but to get caught by the Cornerian military, she immediately started to wonder if she'd jeopardized her future, if she was even going to get to be a real pilot at all. And her parents, her parents themselves were coming to the academy. She didn't know whether to anticipate it, or dread it. On the one hand, her parents had these great reputations, but on the other, her own paled in comparison to theirs, by a lot. And by she got to her second class, it seemed some of the other students thought so too. As soon as she noticed three of them off in a corner talking only to each other, occasionally glancing at her, she knew they were talking about her.

But at the end of the second class, the intercom sounded through the halls with the voice of Headmistress Rabbit's secretary. "Would the following students please report to the Headmistress's office: Vicky McCloud, Kitty Shorthair, Amber Rabbit, and Max Shorthair."

Ignoring some of the stares she received, Vicky gathered her things, held her head high, and knew it was time to face the inevitable. She just wished it didn't have to be announced for the whole academy to hear. Though, as soon as she got to the office, that was the furthest thing from her mind.

In the sitting area were Kitty and Max with their parents, Amber with her father, and at the far side of the room, Vicky was greeted with the frowning faces of her own parents. Reluctantly, she took a seat between them both, not even stopping to say hi to them. She already knew how disappointed they were.

Before long, she found herself the first one to be called inside. And again, she sat between her father and mother, wishing once again that she could simply sink into the floor. While Beatrice maintained a respectful demeanor due a headmistress, no one smiled through the entire conversation.

"Thank you for coming Mr. and Mrs. McCloud," she began, "I very much appreciate it."

"Thank you for having us Headmistress," Fox nodded, "Might I ask why we're here though?"

"I was just about to explain," Beatrice replied. She continued on, saying, "Unfortunately, your daughter and three of her friends have been caught flying their jets in the asteroid field by General Pepper and the Cornerian defense fleet. They brought them by this morning."

"General Pepper?" Krystal asked with a mixture of surprise and shock.

"Unfortunately," Beatrice replied, sharing her discomfort, "But I digress. As far as I know, Vicky was most likely leading them, since she is the most skilled of the four."

"What I want to know is why they were out there in the first place," Fox said.

"I think only Vicky herself can explain that," Beatrice said. In that moment, all eyes turned on an uncomfortable Vicky. After a moment, they raised their eyebrows at her too in anticipation for her to speak. Eventually though, despite herself, Vicky sighed and soon found her voice.

"We, I, thought it would be good to practice for tomorrow's test," she said, trying to keep her anxiety from controlling her, "So I convinced everyone else to come with me."

"That is what the academy is for," Beatrice said when she couldn't say anything else, "There's no need for you to go out to a clearly dangerous place just to practice."

Vicky nodded, allowing her eyes to go to the floor for a moment, before she said in a soft voice, "I know."

Turning her attention back to her parents, Beatrice crossed her arms and continued. "As you know this has happened before. And like before this is going on her record. But if something like this happens one more time, I'll have no choice but to suspend her."

"We understand Headmistress," Krystal nodded, "We just want what's best for her."

"I know the feeling," Beatrice nodded back, "My own daughter was caught as well."

Krystal gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. "I'm so sorry," she said empathetically.

As if to refocus the conversation, Fox cleared his throat and said, "Thank you for telling us though." He then looked sternly at Vicky in the eye and added, as though the words were directed to her as well, "It won't happen again."

"Thanks again for coming," Beatrice nodded, "Allow my secretary to see you all out."

With a final nod from Fox and Krystal, they, along with Vicky, were escorted out into the sitting area by Angela. All the while Vicky hung her head, though somewhat relieved that the ordeal was over. But before she could go on her way to her third class, Fox stopped her by putting his hand on her shoulder, and turned her around to face him, his eyes showing how he was ready to give way to anger. "You," he said, "In the hall with us. Now."

Not one to disobey her parents, especially now, Vicky hurried into the hall after both Fox and Krystal. Now she knew the real talk was going to happen, now that they were outside the realm of influence the Headmistress had. No. It was just her and her father and mother. And she knew what to expect at times like this.

"Vicky, look at me," Fox said through gritted teeth. Vicky reluctantly and slowly turned her head up to face her father, he went on as soon as their eyes met. "I am very disappointed in you Vicky. You've only been here three months, and yet not only could you have hurt yourself or someone else, not only did the academy catch you, but also the Cornerian defense fleet! Do you have any idea what this could do to your future?"

"I don't mean to hurt anyone," Vicky said after managing to find her voice again.

"That doesn't matter!" Fox went on, "Ever since you learned how to pilot a jet I feel like I've had to constantly watch you, and not just me but your mother too! And its even harder now that we've been helping the military more often. If you want to stay at this academy you're gonna have to learn to keep your hands off the wheel."

"Well, you dropped out didn't you?" Vicky asked, attempting to focus the spotlight on someone else other than her.

"This isn't about me Vicky," Fox shook his head, "I had good reasons to leave, you don't. So I suggest you keep your mind in check and do what they tell you."

Vicky wanted to hang her head again. In fact, she wanted to cry. Her father had been angry with her in the past before, but never in a way like this. Not only did she let herself down, but she seemed to have let her friends and family down too. It was only a matter of time before all of it became too much to bear. It already felt as though a heavy weight was being pressed on her sagging shoulders. But she wouldn't show it.

"Vicky." Vicky looked up at her mother who spoke in a softer, but still stern voice. "Vicky, I think what your father is trying to say is that, this just isn't like you. We've seen how good your grades are, and we've been told your piloting skills are excellent. Do you want to throw that all away just because you couldn't discipline yourself?"

Suddenly, as if from nowhere, not because of her mother or even her father, Vicky found herself to be at a breaking point. She'd had enough of feeling ashamed and guilty. She now believed it was time to show them that she wasn't a stupid little girl anymore. No one was going to keep her from realizing her dream, not even herself.

"Look I'm sorry alright!" she finally blurted out, not caring how either of them would react, "I really am. But don't think either of you or anyone else can hold me back from being a pilot! Can't anyone see I've been wanting this my whole life! If I have to drop out too, then I'm darn well gonna do it!"

"If you drop out you won't be getting anymore support from me!" Fox suddenly interrupted her, "Heck, you can get out of my sight right now!"

Like an unexpected lightning bolt on a clear day, Vicky immediately found herself shocked by her father's last words, shocked and stunned straight through to her heart. Tears even began to form on her cheeks, but she wasn't about to let her parents see her cry. If she had to let the tears flow, she would do it while she was alone. Giving voice to the first words that formed in her mind, she said, "Fine then! I'll be happy to!"

Before either of them could say anything else, Vicky brushed past both her father and mother and headed straight down the hall. In spite of her expectations, neither of them said anything, nor did she hear footsteps come after her. She only went through the building alone, not caring if anyone saw her. All she needed was a quiet place to cry, and it certainly wasn't her next classroom. And with every step it seemed as though a new thought had formed in her head.

She wanted to set things straight between her and her friends and family. Yet how could she let go of her lifelong dream to be a great pilot like her dad, whom she had just spurned back after he spurned her. Oh, why couldn't she just fly without the jet, and fly away from here? Vicky didn't know the answers to any of these questions, and that did nothing to comfort her. All the tears representing her current feelings of sadness, anger, frustration, and disappointment soon freely flowed down her cheeks. And they showed no sign of stopping soon.

* * *

_Reviews would be appreciated._


	3. Dogfight

**StarFox: Fugitive**

Chapter 2 – Dogfight

Later that afternoon, inside the campus's gymnasium, grunts and pants from half of the fifty students filling the giant room echoed against the glass ceiling. While some of the students were taking the class simply because it was part of the required curriculum, others seemed to revel in the strenuous levels of physicality their bodies were capable of. Vicky was one of them. Outside learning how to pilot a jet to the best of her ability, this last class of the day was her favorite. Especially considering the harsh confrontation that took place earlier that morning, if there was anything that could make her feel better, it was a good old-fashioned workout.

As usual, they were starting the class with warm-ups such as push-ups and sit-ups. With her hands behind her head, Vicky gritted her teeth together and pulled the upper half of her body up while her partner Kitty held her feet down. With the help of her friend's coaching, she forced herself to do the required twenty-five sit-ups.

"Wait," Kitty said at one point, "was that twenty-four or twenty-five?"

When she laid back down, Vicky's eyes flashed open to look at her in disbelief. "You lost count?"

"What?" Kitty shrugged her shoulders, "You know I'm not the best at math."

Vicky let out a big breath, rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever. Let's just call it quits for now."

"Fine by me," Kitty agreed. While Vicky continued to lay down and stare up at the blue, cloudy sky through the roof, Kitty decided to make herself comfortable and lay herself on her stomach next to her friend. All the while, Vicky couldn't help but wonder what had occurred between her friend and her parents after she left. Part of her thought she shouldn't pry. But on the other hand, they had been friends since they first started school. It couldn't hurt too much.

"How'd the meeting with your mom and dad go?" she asked, biting her lip in nervousness.

Kitty showed her a smirk. "Oh you should have seen my mom," she replied, "She was livid!" Then, in a dramatic reenactment of what happened, she said, "Kitty and Max Shorthair! If either of you do anything like this again you're going to get the punishment of a lifetime!"

Vicky couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Though it was obvious she was exaggerating, it was no secret to Vicky that Kitty's mom was the disciplinarian in their family. Still, even though she did get a laugh out of her, Vicky soon let out a sad sigh at the fresh guilt she was feeling. And like the good friend she was, it didn't take long for Kitty to figure it out that something was wrong.

"Hey, talk to me," she said, "What's up? Did things go bad with your mom and dad?"

Vicky frowned as fresh tears threatened to spring up in her eyes. She didn't want to bring up such a heavy topic so soon. "Something like that," she replied, hoping the answer would suffice. When Kitty didn't say anymore, Vicky decided to go ahead with the real issue. "Look, I'm so sorry Kitty," she said with another sigh, "I mean, someone could've gotten hurt. And then our parents had to come to the campus to see us like we were still in elementary school." The words held so much weight that Vicky soon groaned and put her hand over her eyes. She only lifted it when she heard Kitty speak up.

"Hey, we're friends," she said, "Aren't we supposed to go through life's problems together?"

Vicky turned her head to her friend and raised her eyebrows as she gave her a confused look.

"Well," Kitty went on to explain, "I mean, yeah I'm not happy that this got added to my record, and that we went through that freaky asteroid field, and got busted by Cornerian military. But hey, you know it's like my dad always says. When life knocks you down, you gotta get right back up."

Nice advice, Vicky decided. She only wished her own dad had been as patient. _No_, she thought as she slightly shook her head. She had to put this morning's episode in the back of her mind. As she did, or at least attempted to do so, she tried to smile and said, "Thanks a lot Kitty."

"Hey, that's what friends are for," Kitty replied as she returned the smile. Vicky then watched as it slowly grew more mischievous, until Kitty turned her head, which stopped as soon as her eyes rested on her brother, sitting a few feet away from them holding down the feet of his partner as he continued his sit-ups.

"Speaking of friends," Kitty said, changing the subject, "What do you think of Max?"

"What do you mean, 'What do I think of him?'" Vicky asked in confusion.

Kitty was about to answer when Max suddenly turned his head in their direction. As soon as he saw that they were looking at him though, he instantly looked back away, and it seemed only Kitty noticed the faint but still present blush appear on his gray cheeks, which seemed to feed confirmation to her theory.

Turning her head back to Vicky with wide, excited eyes, she said with a fitting voice, "See?!"

Now even more entrenched in confusion at what Kitty could mean, Vicky asked, "See what?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Kitty asked, "It's been obvious to me for years. He likes you!"

Now it was Vicky's eyes that were wide, but, in this case, in disbelief. "What? You're crazy!"

"How?" Kitty asked, "Because you're a fox and he's a cat? What, you got this prejudice I never knew about?"

"No, of course not!" Vicky replied, "It's just that, I never thought of Max as anything more than friend."

"Well, I think he'd like to see you as a bit more than that," Kitty suggested, "In fact, I'd be willing to bet he's been thinking that for a long time."

"Well, if he does happen to think that he'll obviously tell me," Vicky said, almost as if blowing her friend's notion aside due either to it's absurdity, or its discomfort.

"Hey," Kitty shrugged her shoulders, "guys aren't always obvious about everything."

Vicky was about to reply, when both girls suddenly heard a grunt both of them would recognize anywhere. The two turned their heads to its source, which turned out to be Max's partner. A dog named Bobby Spaniel, and a real problem for Vicky, Kitty, Amber, and Max throughout the years. Ever since kindergarten, Bobby seemed to think it was his lot in life to make fun of and bully them all around. Why he decided this, and why he followed them to the academy, none of them could ever guess, especially considering he wasn't very smart. Still, they all managed to tolerate him, most of the time.

They both groaned when he apparently decided to get to his feet and walk their way, no doubt thinking of something belittling to say to them. Vicky and Kitty inevitably exchanged the look of annoyed dread, agreeing, if unconsciously, on one thing. This guy was obvious about everything.

"Well, lookie what we have here," Bobby said as soon as he stood in front of them, his tall canine frame somewhat intimidating even if his words weren't, "Miss Vicky Mc 'Rain' Cloud. So you decided to show up after all."

Both Vicky and Kitty let out a sigh, not only at his uncreative insult, but at wondering why he was here anyway. Deciding to challenge him nonetheless, Vicky replied, "Nice one Bobby, but, what exactly do you want?"

"Just wanted to know if it was true," Bobby replied as he smugly crossed his arms, "Heard your mom and dad had to come down here 'cause you got busted by the military. Came by to express my combo… conjo…"

Deciding to help him out, Kitty offered the word he was probably thinking of. "Condolences?"

"Yeah," Bobby nodded, "What she said. Guess the coolness factor doesn't run in the family."

That comment hit its mark as Vicky's mouth fell open. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one who noticed. As soon as Bobby talked, a small chorus of "ooh"s from the surrounding students reached them. Once she heard Bobby's words though, Vicky knew she wasn't going to allow this dog to get away with what he said. And apparently, Kitty shared her thoughts.

"Oh knock it off, Bobby," she said with an irritated voice while waving him off with her hand.

Vicky's eyebrows raised as soon as she thought of a comeback. Turning her head to Bobby, she added, "Yeah. Why don't you go choke on a bone?"

The moment she said so, the chorus of "ooh"s was slightly louder this time. And Vicky's slight smile faded the moment she saw Bobby's go too. In fact, her eyebrows raised and her heartbeat slightly quickened when she saw him clench his fists as his face went red. Now she knew she had to watch what she said.

"Alright snarky," he said as he then began popping his knuckles, "You wanna play dirty?" Before he could walk over to her though, Max grabbed him by the arm.

"Leave her alone!" he exclaimed, his green eyes flaring at him with anger.

"Yeah, cut it out, Bobby!" Amber added from her spot a few feet away. But suddenly, Max flinched as Bobby shoved him hard on the shoulder, making the girls gasp.

"Keep your boyfriend and personal cheerleader outta this!" he said before turning his eyes, showing a stronger anger, back on Vicky, "Two can play at this game."

As he then walked over to Vicky, ready to teach her a lesson, Vicky began clenching her own fists tighter with each step he took. Soon he was right in front of her, and she was ready to defend herself, until suddenly, right as he was about to touch her, everyone flinched when they heard a loud whistle pierce the air. All the students, including Vicky and Bobby, turned to see their coach, Ron Hawk, a green bird who showed a considerable amount of muscle underneath all those feathers.

"Alright guys and gals!" he called out, "Hope you're all warmed up 'cause class is starting…" He stopped when his eyes landed on Bobby, who was reaching his hand out to grab Vicky's shirt. "Sorry," he said, his suspicious gaze planted on them, "Was I interrupting something?"

Bobby, his eyes now wide, immediately showed a nervous smile as he stepped back away from Vicky. "Oh no," he shook his head, "'Course not Coach."

"Good," Coach said, his eyes slightly narrowing, "because its time to gather 'round the mat." Turning his attention to the rest of his students, he cleared his throat, raised his voice, and called out like he was a drill sergeant, "Let's move, move, move!" Everyone immediately obeyed him, getting up from their places and choosing a spot to sit while Coach waited patiently, until all of them were sitting around the square blue mat, wondering what they were going to go over today.

Coach walked out to the middle of the mat, his voice loud and clear. "As you all know," he said, "I've been teaching you all hand-to-hand combat while blindfolded, to sharpen your senses." All of the students nodded in understanding, and Coach continued. "And while most of you could definitely use some work, some of you have developed your skills very well. I daresay, better than I expected. So, for starters, I think it would only be fair to have two of the best show us how it's done."

"I'll do it!" a confident voice called out. Everyone turned to see that it was Bobby with his hand raised, and didn't question why. Despite his simple mind, he knew how to fight, and fight well. No one said a thing as he stood up and walked to join Coach in the middle of the mat. Once there, Coach gave him a friendly slap on the back.

"Thank you Bobby," Coach smiled. He then looked up to face the rest of his students and asked, "Who'll be our second volunteer?" Once the question came out, heads one by one began shaking to say no. There were even comments of "No way," "Not me," "He's a beast," and "He's too tough," making Bobby feel an inner need to clobber whoever said so. But despite most of the class's unwillingness, Coach wasn't about to back out of this proposed demonstration.

"Okay then, I guess I'll have to pick one myself," he said. But just when he was about to call someone's name, another voice called out, "Wait! I volunteer!"

Once again, everyone's eyes flew to the person the voice came from, and some even gasped when they saw who it was. It was Vicky, her arm raised in the same manner as Bobby's was. While the students continued to stare at her in disbelief though, none of them knew that even Vicky wasn't entirely sure why she did what she did. All she knew was that it seemed like a good idea at the time, since she herself was a pretty good fighter and she didn't want anyone else to have to face him. But as the inevitable conflict loomed ahead of her, she also knew that it was too late to turn back now. Fortunately though, she wasn't the only one who was nervous.

"Vicky, are you really gonna do this?" Kitty asked, "I mean, if you wanna get, you know, sick now, we'll all understand."

Suddenly, when actually faced head-on with the idea of backing out, Vicky physically flinched and her determination to go ahead with her initial decision skyrocketed. "No way Kitty," she shook her head, "Someone's gotta show that guy to mind his mouth."

"Well, whatever you want, we're right behind you," Amber said, "Besides, you're one of the best fighters in the academy."

"Thanks a lot Amber," Vicky nodded. But when she looked back at Bobby's face, which seemed to smile smugly and frown menacingly at her at the same time, she swallowed some of her confidence and hoped no one heard it. "So is he," she reminded them.

Before long though, the stage was set. Vicky and Bobby stood on either side of the mat, their backs turned to each other, and both of them wearing a blindfold. For now, it seemed to everyone to be a fair match, since Vicky and Bobby, as a fox and a dog respectfully, had similar senses. But no one dared speak out loud for fear of throwing either off their game. And unknown to both demonstrators, the opinion of who should win was unanimous. And that person was Vicky.

Suddenly, Coach blew his whistle, signaling the beginning of the demonstration, and a hush of silence fell over all of the students, their eyes locked on the mock match in front of them. Both Vicky and Bobby began slowly walking backward, both of them planning to take a different approach than the other. While Bobby was planning to use raw sense and brawn to overpower his opponent, Vicky hoped to simply outsmart him, and maybe even employ her fabled sixth-sense. It didn't seem far-fetched that she should be able to have one, especially considering that her own mother was a telepath. And now, she was especially hoping it to be true.

After taking nearly a dozen steps, her heartbeat quickening in nervous anticipation with every single one, Vicky's eyebrows suddenly raised when she sensed a footstep close to her on the mat. She then decided, whether or not she was right, that it was time to act. She spun a hundred-eighty degrees, shot her hands forward, and smiled for a split second when she realized she grabbed a wrist. She then spun back around a hundred-eighty degrees, and pulled on the wrist, pulling a strong masculine body over herself and slamming him down hard on the mat. And Vicky knew that with that one move, the real match had begun.

After hearing a faint but prominent growl, she planted her feet into the mat, and jumped the moment she sensed Bobby's leg swipe down in an attempt to knock her down. She ducked to her left when Bobby through a punch to his left, grabbed his arm and wrist when he tried again on his right, and shoved him hard on the back, sending him down like before. Knowing he would try to kick her down again, she leaped forward and performed a somersault before landing upright.

Vicky then turned around as soon as she heard Bobby scramble to his feet, and ducked twice when he threw two punches her way. He tried again, but she grabbed his right arm and wrapped her left arm firmly around it, before grabbing his left arm and doing the same with her right. But she knew he wouldn't stop there. Before he could kick her, she kicked him first in his right leg and then in his left. Then to make sure he couldn't hit her at all, she kicked him in the gut, sending him across the mat.

She couldn't hit him too hard though, even though part of her wanted to. It was basically the number one rule in the gym: If the fight gets real, so does the punishment. But of course, this fight wasn't over. Feeling the pressure of his feet approaching her, and fast, Vicky once again firmly planted her feet in the ground before cartwheeling to the right. But if she had felt any sense of confidence during this demonstration, it seemed to have gotten too high. Before she could grab hold of Bobby, he grabbed hold of her, pulling her down onto the mat and pulling on her arm with his strong hands while pressing onto her shoulder with his feet.

Vicky grit her teeth, but no cry escaped her lips. She rolled to the left in order to get back on her feet, but Bobby clearly had her pinned down. Once she was on her stomach, he sat on her waist and pulled on her arms, crossing them in a painful shape. Vicky grit her teeth harder, to the point where she feared they would fall out. For a moment, there seemed to be no way out, when she suddenly heard Kitty actually cheer her on. "You got this Vicky!" she shouted, "You gotta fight him!"

"Yeah, bratty," Bobby suddenly said, "You gonna fight? Or are you a washout just like your old man?"

Just like that, those few words hit Vicky in her own gut harder than any punch Bobby could throw at her. It provided the fuel for the faint candle that had been lit within her, causing it to be fanned instantly into a wildfire of fury. It didn't matter if she and her dad had a somewhat unpleasant reunion just that morning, _no one_ spoke so disparagingly about the father she still loved. Still pinned down, as her fury quickly gave way to rage, on an act of impulse she decided that if there was one thing this dog wasn't going to get away with, it was that last remark.

As though it gave her the ounce of strength she needed, Vicky quickly pulled her arms out of his grasp and turned on her back. Even though she was blindfolded, she could clearly see his face in her mind. His words still ringing fresh in her ears, her right hand clenched into a fist, and she threw it his way as hard as she could.

As soon as she hit her mark, Bobby instantly let out a shocked cry of pain, which was immediately followed by a few groans. Some surprised gasps even erupted from the crowd of students. Now that he was off her, wanting to know what happened, Vicky quickly pulled off her blindfold, and raised her eyebrows to see Bobby writhing on the mat, holding the place where she apparently hit him. Vicky had never actually punched someone for real before, and now that she was seeing the results, she didn't know what to think.

But Coach certainly did. He blew his whistle and called out, "Alright, demonstration's over." He then hurried over to Bobby along with Max and another young male dog named Dan, and pulled off Bobby's blindfold before he urged him to sit up so he could look at his possible injury.

"What'd she do to me?" Bobby managed to ask. Coach held his face to his level and frowned at what he saw.

"Looks like you got hit in the nose, Bobby," he replied. Bobby then moved his hands back to his nose, but when he saw the blood that suddenly appeared on his fingertips, his eyes flashed over at Vicky. And she couldn't help but flinch at the sheer fury she now saw in them.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Bobby shouted. Before he could move even a centimeter toward her though, Max and Dan instantly jumped up and grabbed him. While they held him back as hard as they could, Kitty and Amber quickly hurried over to either side of Vicky and then rushed her away, which, to her surprise, she gladly welcomed.

"Okay, that's enough," Coach said, quickly putting a stop to another fight before it could begin. Looking down at Bobby, he said, more to the class than to Max and Dan, "Someone get this kid to the nurse." He then looked up to address the rest of the class to tell them this message was for them, and said, "No one moves until I come back to this spot." Everyone nodded in agreement, and he nodded back before he walked over to where Kitty and Amber had taken Vicky.

She sat against the wall on one of the benches, being tended to by her friends. Amber wiped off the sweat that was forming on her silver fur, while Kitty was offering her water, which she gladly took. It was the best water she ever had, thanks to both its taste, and its ability to get her mind off of what just happened. Unfortunately, it came back full force as soon as she saw Coach headed her way. She quickly handed the water back to Kitty and gently waved at Amber, both of whom reluctantly stepped aside so she could talk one-on-one with Coach.

He didn't cross his arms as everyone knew he did when he was angry, so she was hopeful he might go easy on her, but any sense of hope quickly fled when she saw the stern look on his face, which painfully reminded her of her dad. "Okay, I wanna know," he said in a voice that matched, "What happened out there?"

Not wanting to give a long speech, but not really wanting to reveal what caused her to hit Bobby, Vicky said the first thing that came to her mind. "He made fun of me," she replied, slightly shrugging her shoulders. For a moment, she hung her head, until she forced herself to look back at Coach and ask, "I'm in trouble aren't I?"

Coach frowned sadly. "'Fraid so," he replied with a sigh, "I'm afraid I'm gonna have to suspend you from class for three days."

"What?!" Vicky suddenly exclaimed. Despite her demeanor before, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Why? He started it!"

"I'm gonna talk to Bobby too," Coach replied, "But that doesn't give you the right to hit him. I could suspend you for a whole week."

Vicky opened her mouth, but before any words could escape, she hung her head again, longer this time, because she knew he was right. Her heart slowly began to feel heavier and heavier, and she bit her lip to keep it from getting even more so, before she looked back up again at Coach and said, "I know. I'm, I'm sorry."

"Me too," Coach replied in a more sympathetic voice, "I can tell you're having a rough day today."

For a brief second, Vicky smiled a faint smile before it disappeared back into a frown. _You have no idea_, she thought as she then heard him turn and walk away. As soon as he left their presence, Vicky looked up again as soon as she felt the hands of Kitty and Amber on either side of her. Their touches gave her only a little comfort.

"We really are sorry Vicky," Amber said, her eyes for which she was named sad despite her attempted smile.

And despite her own attempts, Vicky's heart became three times as heavy. "I'm the one who should be sorry for all the trouble I caused you all," she said before putting her head in her hands. Suddenly though, she felt what she recognized as Amber's touch envelop her in a hug, which she couldn't help but allow.

"Like she said Vicky," Kitty then said, "we're here for you." Vicky slowly looked up at her, not able to tell, in spite of their close friendship, whether her smile was genuine or fake. "Like I said, we need to watch each other's backs," she added. Vicky said nothing. She only nodded her thanks, and then looked back away again, where she could only stare at the floor until she was eventually lost in her own world of self-pity, that, she admitted, she had considerable help creating.

Things didn't get much better as the day went by, not after class ended – along with the school day for that matter – and especially not after Kitty and Vicky got back to the dorm they shared. Vicky thought she'd better be able to escape the dark cloud that seemed to hang mercilessly over her once she got back, but once she realized it wasn't going anywhere, it only seemed to strengthen its hold on her. She didn't even hear what Kitty asked her until she heard her name. "Huh?"

"I said I was going to get some dinner from the cafe," Kitty explained as she started changing clothes, "You wanna come with me?"

Not in the mood to go out in public anymore for today, Vicky solemnly shook her head and replied, "No thanks."

Knowing she wasn't going to look at her, Kitty only frowned and turned away. Once she was in a new set of clothes, she said, "Look, Vicky, I know things look tough but, they'll turn around, eventually." After a long pause, she then added in a voice similar to her friend's, "I promise." And then, without another word, she left.

Kitty returned twenty minutes later carrying food, hoping this would at least put some semblance of a smile on her friend's face, she invited her over to the small table near the window. Vicky walked over, took a seat, and even widened her eyebrows when she saw that Kitty had gotten her her favorite: a meat and cheese sandwich, while Kitty got for herself a salad. Vicky was somewhat touched by her friend's effort, considering her appetite had been previously lost, yet she still couldn't crack a smile. For what felt like the longest time, the two didn't talk as they munched down on their dinners, occasionally looking at each other, but no one speaking a word.

Even after they finished eating and two two eventually went to bed, all Vicky found herself able to do in her dark, blackened room was to stare up at the empty ceiling, empty as she was now feeling. Time almost seemed to fade out of existence, just as much as she wished to sink into the mattress and let it consume her. Occasionally, she turned to the left, then to the right, and back to the middle again, but later – or sooner, since she'd stopped keeping track of time long ago – it became clear to her that she wasn't going to get any sleep. So she did what she tended to do when she couldn't sleep. She decided she'd go for a walk.

After Vicky changed into appropriate clothes, she quietly walked out of the dorm, and began to make her way just as silently down the hall of rooms. She felt like a walking, solitary shadow with so much darkness surrounding her, but she didn't stop, nor did she look back. She only hoped that her friends were at least getting some sleep. They did have her back, but they couldn't help her carry the massive weight that had now fallen on her shoulders.

She later made it to the outside and noted how very few lights were on, showing at least some of the stars the night sky could afford to offer. Vicky had been out here at night before, and every time it felt like being in a smaller version of Cornerian City, where the stars she loved to gaze at ever since she was little could almost never be seen unless you got far away enough. She always liked looking at them because it reminded her that no matter how dark and bad things seemed, there was always that glimmering ray of hope that they would get better. Tonight though, that notion seemed as hard to believe as ever.

Her footsteps, which at first seemed aimless, eventually carried her, as if by instinct, to a warehouse a few dozen yards behind her dorm. When she eventually looked up to see which one it was, her face only fell when she saw that it was the one that housed her and Kitty's jets, which had been rented to them for the entire time they were at the academy. Well, if her feet had carried her here, there didn't seem to be any point in trying to talk herself out of leaving.

With swift fingers, Vicky pinned in the password which would unlock the door to allow her in. Suddenly though, she jumped back when she heard a long beep and then saw the words: _Access Denied_. She immediately punched the air below her in frustration as she suddenly remembered. Not only was it past curfew, but she was also facing suspension from being allowed to fly her jet. She let out a heavy sigh and was turning away, when an idea suddenly flashed into her mind. Could it still be there? It had to be. Vicky turned around again and, after making sure no one was watching her, she slipped away into the shadows on the side of the building.

She continued to the far corner, sudden anticipation filling her slowly, until it finally culminated when she spotted a familiar looking board. She placed her hands on it and pulled, and discovered that it was loose, just like she'd found it originally. _Yes!_ she thought as she cracked the slightest smile she managed all night. After she and her friends faced their first punishment by the academy, she discovered this loose board which opened up a narrow, but still passable, opening, allowing her access inside the warehouse. And like she did the first time, she slipped through it and closed the board, not wishing it to be seen by anyone else.

Vicky then turned around, and now that her eyes were used to the darkness, she could see the jet that she couldn't seem to stay away from. Her eyes fixed on it, and feeling almost like she was in a sacred place, she walked over and placed her hand on it. The metal was cold. But for some reason, whenever she did that, whenever she actually hopped in and started flying it, it seemed to become a part of her, like two different colors merging together to form a new one, one that was better than the two before it. Inevitably, that led to her next idea. Quickly but quietly, she climbed up, opened the glass, and sat down comfortably in the pilot's seat.

But as soon as she did, the knowledge that she shouldn't have been where she was, which she had been trying so hard to push to the back of her mind, unexpectedly came forward at full force. The sudden heaviness of the atmosphere soon caused Vicky to place her head in one of her hands. Who was she kidding? Why did she even enter the academy? What did it matter that she came from a long line of pilot prodigies? While her grandfather James founded the StarFox team and left this life in sacrificial glory, while her father cemented his own legacy by forming a new team and defeating the great Andross twice, all she had managed to do was jeopardize her chances of ever becoming like one of them.

She wasn't like them and she never would be. So, why did she feel this great connection to a jet whenever she was around one? Why did she still feel the need to stay? Vicky sighed as she attempted to find answers to these questions, yet failed. Wanting to focus her mind on something else, anything else at all, her eyes fell on the currently unused radar screen in front of her. A thought came to her mind, wondering what the Cornerian defense fleet was doing right now. Her thought moving to her hands, she turned the radar on, and it immediately lit up, showing, to her surprise, what appeared to be a gathering fleet of green ships – obviously Cornerian – prepared to fight against a squadron of red ships.

Her curiosity now somewhat fueled, Vicky indulged another thought that formed in her head by putting on the headphones kept at the side. She didn't hear much, but her large ears quickly caught what was being said.

"What do you think?" a gruff, male voice, one that she quickly recognized, asked, "Can you two make it?"

After a moment of silence that seemed to stretch the moment it happened, Vicky suddenly heard another male voice she instantly knew. "Of course General, if Corneria needs us, and if it is what we think it is, we'll be on our way." It was her father! Vicky immediately put the headphones away. What was he doing talking to the general?! She knew he and her mom had been helping them out some lately, but part of her really wanted to know what it was they were going up against.

Suddenly, she stopped herself. She knew this pattern of thoughts, the kind that had previously gotten her in trouble, and she wanted to flee from it. Bury it. Keep it from influencing her. But the harder she tried, the harder it beat itself over her head. What if her parents, or someone else important, got hurt in this conflict, despite their experience? Who knew how dangerous these potential foes could be? It was no use, she could no longer fight against it. She had to do something to help.

But she couldn't do it alone. Despite what she knew they would say, she still had no one else to go to but her friends. In the same manner with which she entered the jet, she quickly exited it, and then exited the building. And to nobody's knowledge except her own, a shadow covered in silver and white fur quickly made her way across the grounds back to her dorm, with only one thought on her mind. If she couldn't prove to herself and everyone else that she was a worthy pilot, it would be better if she gave up her ambitions, her dreams, altogether.

* * *

_Reviews would be appreciated._

_P.S.: I got nothing against Spaniels! Trust me!_


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